Bradham is the third now former Bills defender to reunite with Jim Schwartz, now Philadelphia’s defensive coordinator.

]]>Chris BrownFan Friday 2-19http://blogs.buffalobills.com/2016/02/19/fan-friday-2-19/
Fri, 19 Feb 2016 16:37:29 +0000http://blogs.buffalobills.com/?p=46393]]>Our NFL Combine coverage presented by NAPA begins on Tuesday and will continue through the week from Indianapolis both on Buffalobills.com and on the John Murphy Show. For now here are your questions from email at AskChris@bills.nfl.net and on Twitter at @ChrisBrownBills.

1 – Chris,

Thank you for all of your fantastic insight throughout the season. I have a question about the Bills defensive line moving into next season. When we line up in a 3-4, where do you suspect Marcell Dareus and Kyle Williams will be located? Also, connected to that, it seems like a lot of websites suspect we will require another 3-4 defensive end in the draft but I was wondering if you thought players such as Wynn, Carrington (if re-signed), Corbin Bryant, Worthy or Edwards could fit that bill so we could focus our draft on other needs.

-TonyCB: I think the good thing about Dareus or Kyle is their versatility and athleticism allow you to play them as a five technique end or at nose tackle. The main reason many draftniks predict the Bills will need another defensive end is they also suspect push coming to shove with Mario Williams cost prohibitive contract.

But you do make a good point. Jarius Wynn is coming back from ACL surgery that cost him the 2015 season. I expect Corbin Bryant to be extended a qualifying offer by the Bills as a restricted free agent. Signing a difference maker at defensive end is unrealistic based on the team’s cap situation, so the draft is the most likely path for the Bills to acquire one.

2 – Hey Chris,

First off I thank you for answering our questions and keeping hope alive to those of us who reacted harshly after playoff elimination. (Ugh.. 16 years…)

My question is about where Buckner and Bosa likely stand on the draft board? Are there any other sizable DEs that are valued as a round one selection? In your opinion where should the Bills focus with their number one? Is there a drop off in depth enough that it becomes likely to pursue a LB instead of the D-Line? (Is that already likely given uncertainty with Bradham?) Finally do you foresee finding our true #2 WR in this draft class?

-Already hoping in OR

CB: I don’t expect Buckner or Bosa to still be on the board when the Bills pick 19th. With respect to their top pick in round one, I think the safe assumption is they address the defensive side of the ball. I think picking a position however, is unrealistic.

I think we can all agree that the deepest defensive position in the draft is probably defensive line, so that’s a good thing for the Bills, who will likely need to add there with Mario Williams uncertain future and Kyle Williams now on the back end of his career. But to say they’ll pick a defensive lineman isn’t something anyone can accurately predict now or even in mid-April.

We have to see what decisions are made with players on the roster now, who is added and where in free agency in March and what Bills free agents are re-signed. All those variables can change the draft picture considerably before we get to late April.

As for finding a true No. 2 WR in this class, I think it’s possible, but not likely based on some of the other positional needs particularly on defense that appear to be more pressing at this point. May have to stop gap that role in 2016 and address it more effectively in 2017. Can’t do everything in one offseason.

CB: If those things happen the Bills are going to have to be bargain shoppers even if they make a few other cuts to the roster to save money against the cap. That means Weddle is not expected to be an option. Damon Harrison is possible provided there isn’t a heavy market interest in him.

That’s why GM Doug Whaley said they’re looking for ‘dust settle’ guys. Guys who they can sign without getting into a bidding war. For reference I would look at the kind of players they signed in the 2014 offseason. Players like Corey Graham, Brandon Spikes, Boobie Dixon. Affordable, budget-conscious free agents that can come in and fill a role and improve the depth of the club without messing up the team’s cap situation in the current season and the season or two that follows.

4 – Chris,

Do you think Nick O’Leary will get more looks at Tight End in the upcoming season? Also it seemed that Seantrel Henderson was getting praised for his play his rookie year, but was much maligned this past season. Has he regressed that much or is it the system change that troubled him?

Thanks,
Chris G. from NashvilleCB: I think seeing Nick O’Leary called up to the active roster late in the season was an encouraging sign for the kind of look he’ll get this offseason and in training camp. I don’t think it’s any secret that no one really seized the No. 2 TE role behind Charles Clay last season. O’Leary was stuck on the practice squad, MarQueis Gray suffered a forearm injury that required surgery and wound up on injured reserve and Chris Gragg only flashed at times with limited opportunities to make a true impact.

Seantrel Henderson regressed because he was dealing with an undisclosed medical condition that kept him out of the last five games of the season. Whether he’ll be able to get his condition under control so he can effectively continue his career is something we’ll all be waiting to see this spring.

CB: The Bills have said it’s their preference to get Nigel Bradham back in the fold for the foreseeable future. At the same time they know that with a tight cap situation and depending on the size of the contracts for Glenn and Incognito, being able to offer Bradham a contract commensurate with fair market value might be easier said than done.

If Bradham reaches the market because the Bills can’t offer quite the money he might be looking for due to their cap situation then it might prove difficult to get him re-signed.

The Bills will be without three more starters on Sunday against Dallas with their top available cornerback a question mark for Sunday.

Buffalo declared LB Nigel Bradham, TE Charles Clay and RB LeSean McCoy out for Sunday’s game. For Clay it will be his second straight game in which he’s sidelined. For McCoy it’s the first game he’ll miss since Week 5 at Tennessee.

Meanwhile Ronald Darby, who is battling a groin injury is questionable after he was only able to practice on a limited basis Friday.

Player

Pos

Injury

Game Status

LeSean McCoy

RB

Knee

OUT

Nigel Bradham

LB

Ankle

OUT

Charles Clay

TE

Back

OUT

Ron Darby

CB

Groin

QUESTIONABLE

Bacarri Rambo

S

Knee

PROBABLE

Karlos Williams

RB

Shoulder

PROBABLE

Eric Wood

C

Shoulder

PROBABLE

John Miller

G

Ankle

PROBABLE

Walter Powell

WR

Hip

PROBABLE

Mario Williams

DE

Hand

PROBABLE

Stefan Charles

DT

Shoulder

PROBABLE

Boobie Dixon

RB

Knee

PROBABLE

Ron Brooks

CB

Neck

PROBABLE

]]>Chris BrownUBNS imageBills could be short at LB Sundayhttp://blogs.buffalobills.com/2015/12/21/bills-could-be-short-at-lb-sunday/
Mon, 21 Dec 2015 20:08:44 +0000http://blogs.buffalobills.com/?p=45915]]>In Sunday’s game LB Randell Johnson suffered a high ankle sprain and might be out for the season according to head coach Rex Ryan. With Nigel Bradham a question mark for Sunday’s game against Dallas, Buffalo could be down to four healthy linebackers and starter Preston Brown, who is battling through a hamstring strain.

Ryan acknowledged that Nigel Bradham had a setback last week during practice, which eliminated him for consideration in last Sunday’s game.

“We’re going to have to wait and see, he did have a setback last week, hopefully he’ll be ready to go this week so we’ll see how it looks,” said Ryan of Bradham.

If Bradham can’t go, Buffalo will be down to Manny Lawson, A.J. Tarpley, Kevin Reddick and newly signed OLB Max Valles as healthy linebackers entering Sunday’s game. Brown played last Sunday with a hamstring strain.

The Bills may need to at least add a linebacker to the practice squad as a precaution.

LB Nigel Bradham did not practice on Friday as his ankle just wasn’t responding well to activity. He practiced on a limited basis during the week and called himself 75-80 percent recovered. Manny Lawson is expected to fill in for Bradham in his role with other linebackers rotating in to take Lawson’s spot on the strong side for portions of the game.

RT Seantrel Henderson is out with his illness so Jordan Mills will make his third straight start Sunday. And special teams ace Ron Brooks is out due to a concussion suffered late in the Houston game two weeks ago.

]]>Chris BrownUBNS imageFan Friday 12-18http://blogs.buffalobills.com/2015/12/18/fan-friday-12-18-3/
Fri, 18 Dec 2015 16:30:27 +0000http://blogs.buffalobills.com/?p=45877]]>The third game against the NFC East this Sunday. Here are your latest questions from email at AskChris@bills.nfl.net and on Twitter at @ChrisBrownBills.

1 – Chris,

Do you think that the team is lacking quality player leadership right now? With huge games coming up, I’d have a lot more confidence in the Bills chances of winning if they had a leader on the field like Fred Jackson or Kyle Williams. Guys who should be filling this role like Mario Williams or Marcell Dareus just seem to be complaining. Who do you think can step into that leadership over the last few weeks to help the team make the playoffs?

Dan in Uganda

CB: I think the leadership is pretty solid on this team. The issue this year is there is new leadership that is kind of feeling its way. Tyrod Taylor has asserted himself as more of a leader in the second half of the season. He’s in a natural leadership position, but it’s hard to lead when you haven’t done anything yet. But I feel like Taylor has successfully navigated that as the season has worn on.

Eric Wood is a solid leader on offense, LeSean McCoy has put pressure on teammates to perform and follow his lead. On defense it’s a bit more complicated. With Kyle Williams and Aaron Williams no longer on the field the defense lost its two best leaders. Manny Lawson has tried to fill that void as has Corey Graham, but it’s been hard for them to help keep the defensive play at a consistent winning level, for whatever reason.

There’s no debating that the defensive play has been largely uneven for most of the season.

2 – @ChrisBrownBills How do you think Rex is going to get the defense back up to snuff?

CB: I think it’s safe to say that he and his defensive staff will be doing a lot of work in the offseason to devise a more effective way to deploy their defensive scheme and devise a way to re-generate an effective pass rush even when opposing offenses are getting the ball out in less than 2.5 seconds.

There will also be personnel changes in the offseason, as there are every year, but I believe there will be some recognizable names on this unit that will be moved off the roster. Ryan’s history shows that he does have certain player types that he deems as fits for his defensive system.

CB: I think there are a lot of current personnel situations that have to unfold first before one can accurately assess some of the top needs for the Bills in the draft. For example, what does the future hold for the playing career of Aaron Williams with his neck injury? Can Seantrel Henderson continue to improve or does his illness compromise his effectiveness as a player?

It’s clear that Cordy Glen and Richie Incognito are priorities to be re-signed, but what about Nigel Bradham? If he’s not back there are holes to be filled at linebacker. Will there be a couple of cap casualties with some of the team’s cost prohibitive contracts or will they be restructured?

I just think there are too many unknowns right now to clearly say this or that is the team’s top positional need.

4 – @ChrisBrownBills who has the better chance of being re-signed. Glenn or Bradham?

CB: I would say Glenn at this point. One of the big positives this season is how the offensive line has come together, particularly the left side with Glen and Incognito. From what I understand both Glenn and Incognito are among the top priorities for the club this offseason.

5 – Hi Chris,

I know it’s that time of the year you probably don’t look forward to having to answer these questions, but I’ll try not to be too negative. I’m just wondering what you think this team can do to right the ship at this point for next season? It seems like this defensive personnel isn’t going to return to greatness under Rex. Do you think they should stick with this coaching staff and scheme and try to rebuild the defense to fit the scheme? I for one have had enough with Rex and think we should look for a coach that is willing to use a 4-3. I know you believe in continuity of scheme, but I can’t condone tearing apart a defense we just finished putting together after 4-5 years of drafts and FA additions.

Dan
Western MA

CB: I’ve addressed a number of fans when I’ve appeared on local radio shows and the John Murphy show, who are demanding another coaching change. My response is the Bills are on their seventh coach in 15 years. What has all that change gotten them?

I realize as well as any fan out there the level of frustration of not having a playoff team. I’ve been here covering this team for every one of those years and the five years before it.

As hard as it is you have to separate the last 15 years from what the Bills are trying to build now. You can’t lump Rex Ryan and his staff in with everything else. I know everyone feels it fits because Buffalo is unlikely to make the playoffs again, but to scrap the whole thing because the defense underachieved this year is not the solution.

It’s my belief you need only to re-tool the defense, move some cost prohibitive contracts off the books, add some good fits, re-sign your starting offensive linemen who are up and continue to develop depth.

Rex Ryan himself admitted he made some judgment errors with his defensive personnel and how he deployed them and tried to mesh his scheme with some of the successful principles that worked last season.

As I mentioned above, what changed was how opposing offenses attacked his defense. Week 2 against the Patriots, Tom Brady provided the blueprint for beating Buffalo’s pass rush, blitz packages etc. Get the ball out in less than 2.5 seconds. Future opponents followed suit.

It’s my contention that with Rex’s creative mind and the staff that he has that they will devise ways to counteract that approach.

It’s a cat and mouse game in the NFL where offenses evolve and change to defeat defensive strategies. Then defenses come up with answers for those new problems and have the upper hand. It goes back and forth. Unfortunately in a year where much was expected from Buffalo’s defense, opposing offenses figured them out and had a definitive answer.

Now it’s on Rex Ryan and his staff to find new ways to maximize their talent and reclaim their status as one of more creative and effective defensive minds in the game.

]]>Chris BrownKarlos, Bradham, Clay all very iffy for Sundayhttp://blogs.buffalobills.com/2015/12/17/karlos-bradham-clay-all-very-iffy-for-sunday/
Thu, 17 Dec 2015 20:21:31 +0000http://blogs.buffalobills.com/?p=45873]]>Bills TE Charles Clay missed a second straight day of practice Thursday making his status pretty iffy for Sunday along with RB Karlos Williams and LB Nigel Bradham, who are trying to return after missing each of the last two games.

If Clay can’t play Sunday it would be the first game he misses in Bills uniform this season.

“I don’t want to eliminate him, but obviously missing another day of practice it doesn’t look great,” said head coach Rex Ryan of Clay.

As for Williams and Bradham, both were limited again on Thursday, and Ryan is not sure either will be ready for Sunday’s game in Washington.

“Nigel I don’t think… I was more confident earlier in the week than I am now,” Ryan said. “With Karlos it’s going to be one of those iffy things. He looks good. I think his legs are ready, but how he feels with that shoulder is the main issue. We’ll wait a couple of days before we make a determination.”

Buffalo’s injury list has some new additions this week, but a couple of players who missed the last couple of games are closer to returning.

TE Charles Clay was a no go in practice Wednesday after suffering a back injury last week. RB Karlos Williams and LB Nigel Bradham were both limited Wednesday. Williams admits his shoulder is still pretty tender. He also said it’s going to be difficult to determine how much punishment his recovering shoulder can take knowing there isn’t much contact in practice this time of year.

“You really don’t know. You don’t know,” he said. “If it happens it happens this Sunday. If not, you’ve got to wait another week and play the next opponent. It goes day by day.

“Today was a very good day for me. I felt really, really good, running and bumping it a couple of times. Working with Boobie on punt return and punt team you could feel the soreness in it and you know it’s real tender. But when the adrenaline is pumping and you want to go out there and perform at a high level. You’re going to get bumped and bruised and feel those pains. It’s a part of the game, but today it felt better, a lot better than it has been the past couple of weeks. We’re still trying to do a lot of treatment on it. We’ve still got a ways to go before I get back on the field. But hopefully it’s this week, if not this week the next.”

Player

Pos

Injury

Participation Wednesday

Charles Clay

TE

Back

DNP

Seantrel Henderson

T

Illness

DNP

Mario Williams

DE

Illness

DNP

Nigel Bradham

LB

Ankle

LP

Karlos Williams

RB

Shoulder

LP

Ron Brooks

CB

Concussion/Neck

LP

John Miller

G

Ankle

LP

Bacarri Rambo

S

Knee

LP

Jerome Felton

FB

Back

LP

Chris Gragg

TE

Back

LP

Preston Brown

LB

Hamstring

LP

]]>Chris BrownUBNS imageBradham feeling betterhttp://blogs.buffalobills.com/2015/12/15/bradham-feeling-better/
Tue, 15 Dec 2015 22:05:42 +0000http://blogs.buffalobills.com/?p=45844]]>Bills LB Nigel Bradham was trying to push his ailing ankle along in the rehab process to be ready to play last Sunday in Philadelphia. It didn’t happen. But Bradham believes his ankle is much improved from where it was this time last week.

“Feeling a lot better. I’ve been able to run a little bit more,” he said. “Still not 100 percent, but 75-80-percent right now. We’ll see how the week goes and try to get through it.”

Bradham is eager to test his ankle in a practice setting, but needs clearance from the athletic trainers and medical staff first. He’s hoping that comes Wednesday morning.

“Hopefully they let me test it out,” he said. “Right now, we’ll take it more into all the team periods and everything, not just individuals. Hopefully just get a feel for it and see how it feels the first day.”

]]>Chris BrownBradham, Gilmore, Karlos updateshttp://blogs.buffalobills.com/2015/12/14/bradham-gilmore-karlos-updates/
Mon, 14 Dec 2015 20:17:43 +0000http://blogs.buffalobills.com/?p=45835]]>The Bills were without two of their defensive starters Sunday in Philadelphia, but there’s a decent chance they can get one of them back for the Washington game.

Nigel Bradham is trying to return from an ankle injury suffered in the loss at Kansas City a couple of weeks ago. Rex Ryan is hopeful that Bradham can improve to the point where he can play.

“I feel good about Nigel, I think that one, we’ll see,” Ryan said. “He’s desperate to play and I think there’s a real possibility he’ll play.”

As for Stephon Gilmore, Ryan is not as optimistic. In fact he admitted it’s a possibility that Gilmore might not see the field again this season with just three games to play.

“Stephon, I doubt it, right now I don’t think that looks good,” said Ryan. “That’s something with that shoulder, a dislocation – could it be a possibility? I’m not ruling it out.”

Ryan is also not sure about the availability of Karlos Williams for Sunday with his shoulder injury also suffered in Kansas City. He called it a wait and see.

The Bills will be without two starters on defense Sunday against the Eagles. Stephon Gilmore will miss his first game of the season and Nigel Bradham will miss a second straight week with an ankle injury.

Gilmore will be replaced by Leodis McKelvin at cornerback while Kevin Reddick is expected to step in for Bradham.

Along with Bradham and Gilmore, Ron Brooks and Karlos Williams are also out for Sunday’s game.

]]>Chris BrownUBNS imageBradham, Gilmore, Karlos all sit Thursdayhttp://blogs.buffalobills.com/2015/12/10/bradham-gilmore-karlos-all-sit-thursday/
Thu, 10 Dec 2015 21:25:55 +0000http://blogs.buffalobills.com/?p=45789]]>For the second straight day Buffalo was missing two starters on their defense and LeSean McCoy’s understudy on the practice field Thursday.

LB Nigel Bradham, CB Stephon Gilmore and RB Karlos Williams were all non-participants at practice Thursday. Head coach Rex Ryan is not optimistic about any of them playing on Sunday.

“I think it’s pretty obvious,” said Ryan of Gilmore’s chances of playing. “I’m not going to declare him out yet, but I would say all those guys don’t look real good to play this week.”

Ron Brooks also missed a second straight day of practice due to a concussion suffered last week and is unlikely to dress for the Eagles game as well.

]]>Chris BrownBradham to test ailing anklehttp://blogs.buffalobills.com/2015/12/08/bradham-to-test-ailing-ankle/
Tue, 08 Dec 2015 17:32:12 +0000http://blogs.buffalobills.com/?p=45759]]>Nigel Bradham’s ankle, injured in the Bills Week 12 game at Kansas City, is still not 100 percent, but the linebacker is going to test it Wednesday to see if it’s fit to play on.

“That’s my plan,” Bradham said. “I pretty much just got to listen to the doctors, but my plan is to try to get out there this week.”

Bradham says he’s not counting himself out and is shooting to return to the lineup, but is not 100 percent sure that’s going to happen. The ankle is still very painful. He can handle straight line running without issue. It’s the ability to move laterally that will determine whether he’s a go for Sunday or sitting against this week.

“Pretty much just all my cuts and everything like that,” Bradham said in terms of what he’ll be trying to do. “If it’s something I can’t do then I probably won’t go. But if I feel comfortable at the end of the week and feel like I can go and get the job done I’m definitely going to be out there.

“I don’t know. It’s one of those things where you’ve got to just see how it goes. So far it’s been getting better every day and that’s the goal.”

]]>Chris BrownGame time here for LB Stewardhttp://blogs.buffalobills.com/2015/12/05/game-time-here-for-lb-steward/
Sat, 05 Dec 2015 19:05:06 +0000http://blogs.buffalobills.com/?p=45724]]>His rookie season got off to a rough start with a sprained MCL in the preseason. Now healthy again Tony Steward will be stepping in for an injured Nigel Bradham Sunday. So how ready is the Bills sixth-round pick?

As defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman sees it he has to be ready.

“He doesn’t have a choice,” said Thurman flatly. “He’s going to get his opportunity. And that’s what you look for as a player, you look for a chance to go out and see where you are. It’s a little tougher on rookies than most. But you never know. We’ll put him out there and we’ll see what happens.”

]]>Chris BrownNo go for Bradham and Karlos Thursdayhttp://blogs.buffalobills.com/2015/12/03/no-go-for-bradham-and-karlos-thursday/
Thu, 03 Dec 2015 19:36:18 +0000http://blogs.buffalobills.com/?p=45691]]>LB Nigel Bradham has all but declared out by Rex Ryan as he has already named Tony Steward as his replacement in the lineup for Sunday. But Karlos Williams is a player that Ryan isn’t giving up on at this point.

“It doesn’t look great right now, but I don’t want to count him out just yet,” said Ryan. “You’ll give him an opportunity. You don’t want to count Henderson out either. We’ll see, but I think tomorrow will be a big indicator on both those two guys.”

Ryan admitted that if Karlos Williams can’t play Sunday that the team would have to make a roster move at running back with just LeSean McCoy and Boobie Dixon the only healthy running backs.

]]>Chris BrownBradham not looking good for Texans gamehttp://blogs.buffalobills.com/2015/11/30/bradham-not-looking-good-for-texans-game/
Mon, 30 Nov 2015 20:17:42 +0000http://blogs.buffalobills.com/?p=45654]]>He left Sunday’s game with an ankle injury and did not return. LB Nigel Bradham was missed in the loss to Kansas City as the Chiefs ran for 158 yards in the game. Head coach Rex Ryan is not optimistic that Bradham will be able to play on Sunday against Houston.

“That’s an ankle injury that to be honest it doesn’t look great for this week for him to play,” said Ryan. “That’s a big loss obviously.”

Ryan said it is not a high ankle sprain so it shouldn’t be a lengthy rehab process.

“It doesn’t seem to be (a high ankle sprain),” Ryan said. “There are different degrees of high ankle injuries just like any other one. But obviously it’s a significant injury, but it’s not where it’s going to be a five week injury.”

Rookie LB A.J. Tarpley filled in for Bradham Sunday, but Ryan said that this week it would be rookie LB Tony Steward who would step in if Bradham can’t go.

]]>Chris BrownFan Friday 11-27http://blogs.buffalobills.com/2015/11/27/fan-friday-11-27-2/
Fri, 27 Nov 2015 18:03:28 +0000http://blogs.buffalobills.com/?p=45603]]>We’re getting pretty close to do or die time and the Chiefs game at Arrowhead on Sunday is step one. Here are your latest questions from email at AskChris@bills.nfl.net and on Twitter at @ChrisBrownBills.

1 – @ChrisBrownBills Do you think Tyrod is “the guy” or should the bills draft a qb in the first round until they find him?

CB: I would still like to see him play more before passing judgment. Perfect example is last Monday’s game his accuracy was off for the first time this season. Was that an aberration or is there more to it? We don’t know because we haven’t seen enough of Tyrod.

I do believe the greatest concern with Taylor is his ability to stay healthy and in the lineup. We’ve already seen two injuries with him this season. One cost him a pair of starts in Week 6 & 7. The other is the one he’s currently dealing with.

Make no mistakes about it. Taylor is as tough as they come. The question is can his physical frame withstand the punishment that quarterbacks typically take over the course of a 16-game season?

That’s to be determined. Even if Taylor finishes the season strong, I’m a proponent of drafting a quarterback every year. It’s the most important position in football so why wouldn’t you try to ensure you’re strong at that position by drafting one there every year?

I’m not saying round one necessarily, but just like everyone says you can never have enough cornerbacks, I think the same applies to QB.

2 – @ChrisBrownBills what possibility of re-signing the gilly lock to an extension and is Mario a fit for Rex’s scheme may need cap room and waive

CB: The Bills did buy some time with Stephon Gilmore by picking up his fifth-year option, so he’s not a free agent until 2017, but it’s my belief that Gilmore is priority number one when it comes to locking up players long term. Whether that happens this offseason or just prior to the 2016 season remains to be seen.

As for Mario Williams he has the skill set to play in any defensive scheme. Your cap room query however, is valid. His cap figure is very high and there is substantial savings that could be had if he is waived or if he agrees to restructure. More on that in the answer below.

3 – Chris,

How do you think the future free agents on the team are doing? Cordy Glenn is having a very good year. What are the odds they can keep him? How much is he a priority over someone like Bradham is having a down year? I know they probably can’t keep everyone but keeping a good tackle long term seems like a good option given they haven’t been too stable on either side on the line in years. What would it cost? Do you expect a ‘hometown discount’ for Incognito too? Given that some teams may not want him still. How much flexibility do they have to do so?

CB: Their flexibility is likely to be rooted in what they decide to do with some cost prohibitive contracts on the roster. Chief among them Mario Williams. His cap figure next season is $19.9M. That will need to be addressed before the team reaches free agency. Both linebacker and offensive tackle are thin positions in terms of experienced depth, so it will be interesting to see how they choose to prioritize Bradham and Glenn.

The team is also going to have to re-sign Richie Incognito, who will be a priority for the offensive line, and no I would not expect Incognito to be willing to take a hometown discount, especially since it’s likely to be his last NFL contract.

4 – Hi Chris,

First off thanks for the Fan Fridays! I enjoys reading other fans questions and your insight to them.

My questions is about the health and return of Aaron Williams. I haven’t seen anything reported about him other than he was up in a box cheering on his teammates during the jets game. Has he recovered from his neck injury? With the activation of McKelvin can he still return to playing this season? (although with Rambo and Cory playing well we are not falling apart without him)

Thanks!
Recently Displaced Bills fan now in DC,
JoeCB: Williams has attended each of the Bills last two road games. He was placed on short term I-R. He’ll be eligible to return for the Eagles game in Week 14 at the earliest. Whether he does or does not is solely up to the team’s medical staff.

5 – Chris;
Bud Grant had a saying, too many “fan in the stands penalties” and plays. He could bring in any fan from the stands to line up off sides etc. When u get down to it, off sides, holding , dropped passes, punts, over and under thrown passes etc., any fan can make those plays.
Am I being too critical ??
Too many miscues keep us from winning. What are ur thoughts ??

Jim in Florida

CB: I think there were too many miscues last week. Unfortunately it doesn’t take much when facing the Patriots, one of the most consistent teams in the league when it comes to execution. Their defense had just one or two poor plays, but played well enough to win. The offense and special teams units could not say the same in that game.

What’s interesting is the prevailing theme in the locker room this week was just executing the game plan more effectively. We’ll see if it can happen Sunday in KC.

]]>Chris BrownBills recognize magnitude of Sunday’s gamehttp://blogs.buffalobills.com/2015/10/24/bills-recognize-magnitude-of-sundays-game/
Sat, 24 Oct 2015 15:20:48 +0000http://blogs.buffalobills.com/?p=45274]]>Sitting at 3-3 the Bills are in a potentially precarious position. Obviously the goal every week is to win. Buffalo’s .500 record would actually qualify them for the playoffs if the season ended today. They would be the sixth seed in the AFC. But with 10 games to play, Buffalo’s players know they need this win, so they can get to the bye week above .500 and remain in playoff contention.

“It’s huge man,” said Nigel Bradham. “The opportunity for us to go 4-3. It’s huge and it would be great going into the bye week still in the hunt. That’s the main thing. We’ve got a lot of games left to play. We pretty much just have to try to get this win. That’s the main focus, get this win and move on from there.”

]]>Chris BrownBradham on crowd noise: Keep it cominghttp://blogs.buffalobills.com/2015/09/14/bradham-on-crowd-noise-keep-it-coming/
Mon, 14 Sep 2015 13:05:38 +0000http://blogs.buffalobills.com/?p=44744]]>Bills LB Nigel Bradham has played more than his fair share of home games in Orchard Park, but on Sunday, Week 1 against the Colts, the din raining down from the fans onto the field was the most noise he has ever experienced.

“This one was crazy,” Bradham told Buffalobills.com. “I honestly could yell on the field and not hear myself at all. To the top of my lungs yelling and Preston (Brown) is like four yards over and he can’t even hear me. So we had to use hand signals man. That was the most exciting and loud I’ve ever heard it in here. It’s been loud, but that was another level.”

Head coach Rex Ryan admitted that in practice this week they’re going to have to prepare better for the crowd noise.

“The thing we really gotta start working on is, I’ve got to pump the volume up for our defense in practice because we kind of blew some communication things out there,” Ryan said. “But it’s because our fans were so awesome, but we’ve got to expect it. Our team has to expect it. So I’ve got to really work at it and dial it in, but man it was unbelievable.”

Buffalo’s defensive players did admit there were some communication problems with pre-snap checks and adjustments to alignments and formation, but they’re not about to tell Bills fans to keep quiet.

“We did have communication issues, but keep it coming,” said Bradham. “It’s a bigger problem for them and you could see the delay of games, the timeouts they had to take, the false starts.”

“There were definitely some problems here and there,” said Kyle Williams. “But you don’t want them to change at all because it’s more of an issue for them than it is for us.”

]]>Chris BrownBradham: Stopping run was job onehttp://blogs.buffalobills.com/2015/08/08/bradham-stopping-run-was-job-one/
Sun, 09 Aug 2015 03:12:37 +0000http://blogs.buffalobills.com/?p=44321]]>The Bills defense flashed a lot when it came to putting pressure on their quarterbacks in the blue-white scrimmage Saturday night, but their run defense was pretty good as well.

Sure the offense got a couple of quality gains through the course of the 18 series between the offensive and defensive units. But through the course of the night Buffalo’s defense had 11 tackles for loss and one for no gain on run plays.

“Yeah pretty much that was the thing we wanted to come out and do, definitely stop the run,” said Nigel Bradham, who had a tackle for a five-yard loss on LeSean McCoy. “I mean we knew they had a great running back, obviously, we face him every day. But the main thing was stop the run, get a good feel of tackling and everything, fundamentals and just playing together.”

Some of the other Bills in on tackles for loss on run plays were Andre Fluellen, who had two, Ty Powell, Jimmy Gaines, Jerry Hughes and Tony Steward.